Understanding What Your Dog Is Trying To Tell You

November 23, 2008 by Dog Service Network
Filed under Behaviors, Body Language & Communication

How do you understand your dog, when your dog can’t speak?Learning to read your dog’s body language can certainly help with this. Below is a list of different signs to help you read your dog’s body language:

Mood	Signs
Confident	- Stands straight - Head is held high - Ears are perked up - Eyes are brightly opened - Tail gently sways, slightly curled, or relaxed
Happy	- Tail is wagging - Mouth may be open and panting lightly
Playful	- Ears are perked up - Eyes are brightly opened - Tail is wagging fast - May be jumping or running around - In a playful position called “play bow”, where your dog is crouched down with front legs stretched forward, head up, butt in the air with tail wagging with excitement!
Submissive	- Head is down - Ears are down - Eyes are averted - Tail is positioned low or swaying slowly (not tucked) - Shows his/her belly by rolling onto their back - Behaves in a gentle manner
Anxious	- Can show signs of submissiveness - Ears are partially back - Neck is stretched out - Has tense posture - Can whimper/moan - Tail is low, maybe even tucked - Acts fearful or aggressive if approached
Fearful	- Mannerism is a combination of being anxious and submissive - Ears are back - Tail is between legs - May show teeth because they’re on guard
Dominant	- Acts assertive and confident - Eyes are opened widely - Ears are up - May growl
Aggressive	- Takes dominant behavior to the next level - Acts territorial - Shows teeth, growls, barks - Tail is straight down

Source: “Reading Your Dog’s Body Language”, About.com. Retrieved on November 7, 2008 from http://dogs.about.com/od/dogtraining/tp/dogbodylanguage.htm.